


One Step Beyond

by TinyPeaches



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-02
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-03-22 22:45:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13774179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinyPeaches/pseuds/TinyPeaches
Summary: Urban fantasy. Some people live their lives toeing the line separating fact and fiction. For them, the beyond is as close as one step away.-Ch 1: 3A Trio - We make a decent team, but not a decent living.-Ch 2: Midori and Shinobu - Always do proper research before adopting a pet.-Ch 3: Hajime and Subaru - Hello, Potion Seller. I am going into battle and I want your strongest potions.





	1. Paying Rent is a Team-Building Exercise

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing anything ever so i had no idea what i was doing lmao 
> 
> but my brain was screaming at me so here it is...i tried

“We need to talk.”

 

Izumi slammed his hand onto the coffee table, pinning down a piece of paper. Their sad-looking table rattled pitifully like it was gonna fall apart any minute.

Kaoru jumped with a start and his fingers unintentionally hit send. Honestly, autocorrect can fuck right off because he ended up sending _‘cant wait 4 our Eater thos sat ;)’_ and before he could send a quick _‘lol autocorrect’_ Izumi plucked his phone out of his hands and mercilessly shut off the TV mid-henshin as Chiaki whined. 

They had been sitting on the sofa, Kaoru texting and Chiaki with his eyes glued to the TV until Izumi rudely smashed their Peace and Quiet into a million pieces. He _just_ got back to their shared apartment and he already looked pissed. Which isn’t new, but Kaoru wasn’t sure what to expect. Now _he’s_ also in a bad mood since Airi-chan probably thinks he’s weird.

“Read it.” Izumi seethed as he unhappily plopped onto the sofa across from them. He leaned back, arms crossed as he nodded at the sheet of paper. He glowered at it like it had personally offended him, which it probably had because his attitude was even shittier than usual.

Kaoru picked up the sheet of paper while Chiaki leaned over to see. _EVICTION NOTICE: To the residents of room 380; we are writing this notice to inform you that you have breached your rental agreement and must vacate your room by Saturday noon. Your monthly payment for the last three months has been long overdue and each attempt at contact has been met with your lack of cooperation. However, this can be waived (once, and only once) if you fulfill the payment before your departure_ _—_

They exchanged looks. They are _so_ fucked.

 

“...”

 

Between the three of them, they literally had _nothing_ to put towards rent. For the entirety of the past three months. They might as well be living on the streets now, and internally Kaoru went through the first few stages of grief before anyone said anything.

 

“We need a job.” Izumi broke the silence.

 

“...Yeah, no shit,” Kaoru ran a hand through his hair and laughed humorlessly, tossing the notice onto the table. “One that isn’t another poltergeist.”

 

A poltergeist was what screwed them over in the first place. Usually hauntings and mischievous spirits were easy to handle, but accidents were a thing. _Especially_ in what they do _._ They were hired to banish a poltergeist from an upscale office building; cakewalk until the company phone had gone off right after they calmed it down, as they were coaxing it into a spirit urn. Then it went completely apeshit and absolutely wrecked the place before it was contained, and the rest was history.

They hardly had any money for food this past month and they survived solely on instant noodles and cold showers like deranged college students. Izumi hasn’t stopped bitching about how his pores were suffering.

Kaoru’s part-time job at the cafe and Izumi’s modeling gig just weren’t enough. Chiaki was busy with stunt work and didn’t have time to pick up anything else. They _are_ full-time hunters but work was difficult to find.

Or, if you _did_ manage to find work it ended horribly. Curses, possession, injuries, getting seriously hurt, pain, death, dying, people getting killed...and debt. But hey, other than that, it pays well! Or if you died it’s not like you had to worry about paying bills anyway.

 

But it was all because of that goddamn poltergeist. Maybe if they unleashed one in the landlady’s house they could buy some time.

Kaoru grimaced. There was no way in hell they could scrape up three month’s rent in five days. They needed a Big Job, _stat._

 

Chiaki spoke up. “Sena...can’t you talk to your coven? They have connections, don’t they?”

 

“Ugh…” Kaoru didn’t think it was possible, but Izumi’s face soured even more. He kinda looked like a dog that's just bitten a lemon. “Kuma-kun’s in hiding since his brother’s back in town and our crappy king is in one of his spellwriting episodes again. And just thinking about dealing with the other two is enough to give me a migraine.” He pinched the bridge of his nose to accentuate his point. _Drama queen._

 

“Plus they all just go off on their own and do whatever the hell they want so no one wants to associate with them. Which is understandable.” He added as an afterthought.

 

“Why don’t you sell your skincare potions? I know lots of girls that’d kill for that kinda stuff.”

 

“I’m not selling my secrets! And the materials are really costly.”

 

“ _—_ Wait. They're expensive to make? Is this where our nonexistent budget goes? To _your_ personal beauty products?!”

 

“Uh. Last time I checked, being a _model_ actually requires good skin?” Izumi sneered. “Maybe if you stopped flirting and dicking around on dates you'd be able to graduate from being a fuckboy barista.”

 

“Well _ex-fucking-scuse_ me, but _—_ ”

 

“Hey now,” Chiaki put his hands on their shoulders with a good-natured laugh. Kind of in a dad-scolding-son way, which was super annoying since they’re all the same age. “Infighting is no good!! Instead we should join together as comrades in the face of adversity!” Chiaki’s attempts at peacemaking went ignored.

 

Oh right. Making money is also hard when your team is made up of a prissy lil bitch and a wannabe Power Ranger.

 

“Ah!” They were about to start throwing hands until their squabble was cut short. Chiaki suddenly stood up and they _swear_ they could’ve seen a lightbulb ding over his head. “We could try asking Kiryuu!”

 

* * *

 

“Should we really be involved in this stuff?”

 

“Well it’s not like we have any other choice! Plus it’s still good to help people no matter who they are.”

 

“Shhhh! Moricchi, you’re not even whispering!”

 

The three fidgeted before Hasumi Keito awkwardly. If he heard them he didn’t show it. The _saiko-komon_ closed his laptop and folded his hands neatly on top, his signature constipated expression in place and unlike _them_ , Keito practically oozed professionalism. A sharp black waistcoat, his office tidy and modern, loads of paperwork organized by date. The only things that betrayed his image were the energy drink cans overflowing from the trash bin and the pink cover of a shoujo manga peeking out from underneath a pile of drug forms.

Chiaki had phoned Kiryuu two nights ago, and through this and that they’ve finally _—_ thank _god—_ landed themselves an arrangement. _“One that isn’t a house haunting, an actual extermination or containment please!!” Chiaki clarified loudly through the phone._

Luckily they knew both Kuro and Keito beforehand, which made the entire transaction a...bearable level of uncomfortable. Keito gave them a quick one-over before sliding them a map.

 

“One of our dealing warehouses has had some…” He trailed off, trying to find the right word, “...interference, lately. A good number of my men have gone missing over the past week, and the few that remain report hearing strange shrieks during the night. Some said they experienced random bouts of nausea, which is probably from foul magic.” As expected, Keito went straight to the point. Which was very much appreciated.

 He leaned back, a weary breath escaping his lips. “I’d like for you three to investigate. Preferably resolve the issue too. The underlings are up in a tizzy over this and I’m busy enough as is, so I’m counting on you.”

 

Chiaki beamed at full wattage, practically glowing at the idea of being a hero. “Leave it to us! It’s a hero’s duty to help those in need, so we’ll be glad to lend you a hand—"

 

 _Even if it’s helping out an underground crime syndicate for money?_ Izumi snorted.

 

“—But you got any other leads? We can’t just go in not knowing anything.” Kaoru yawned and scratched the back of his head. “‘Strange shrieks’ can be a lot of things, y’know?”

 

He clicked his tongue. The way he ‘tch’s sounds judgemental as hell and Kaoru straightened up slightly. It's like he got told off by a teacher. “If it were a spirit I would have handled it myself. My guess is some kind of cursed beast. Or it may be a deviant witch, but that’s for you to find out. Either way, I’ll see to it that you are rewarded generously.” He straightened up and reached for a stack of documents. He hesitated, then in a more familiar tone, “You guys are capable. Just don’t mess up.” Keito nodded to them curtly before returning to his paperwork.

 

Izumi rolled his eyes. “Helpful. Thanks.”

 

* * *

 

The location that Keito pointed out to them was at an industrial block pretty far out from town. The warehouse itself was big, a single building divided into three sections. At this hour, everyone had already gone home and Keito disabled the security locks ahead of time.

They ended up just using their usual gear. A dark, form-fitting shirt and cargo pants that they could creep around easily in paired with a strappy belt for tools. They each carried their own array of supplies and weapons. It’s a very Lara Croft-y style; Kaoru thinks it makes them look smokin’ and for once, Izumi agrees.

The three of them crept up under the cover of night and entered through a half-open garage door. The “creeping in the night” was probably unnecessary since there was no security but it was better to play it safe. They split up, three pairs of quiet footsteps heading in different directions.

Chiaki looked around cautiously, gun in hand as he slowly paced between machinery and cargo. If what Hasumi said was accurate, something should show up at around this time of night...

 

“Amazing!!” A voice abruptly pierced the quiet like an trumpet. “I believe these are all the materials we need! I hope our little one will be pleased~!”

 

Chiaki jumped, startled, and darted behind a crate. Whoever was talking clearly had no volume control because coming from Chiaki, they were _loud_. He caught a brief glimpse of two figures—the taller one was gesticulating while talking—before quickly ducking his head down as they walked past.

 

A quiet voice this time. “Uuuugh…you are too ‘noisy’. We are done, so let’s hurry up and ‘leave’.”

 

“Worry not, my friend! Yours truly will escort you safely home. You must be sleepy after your little feeding session, hmm?” The voices faded as their owners’ footsteps migrated around the corner.

 

Chiaki paled. Alarm bells went off in his head and he crouched down lower where he was hiding. _Feeding session? Did they eat the factory workers?! And what materials are they talking about?_ He pulled out his cellphone and hammered out a quick text, sending his location.

 

* * *

 

“Don’t move!”

 

Chiaki held up his pistol as he stepped into the open. They managed to separate the intruders by chucking a flashbang at them; Kaoru and Izumi ran off in hot pursuit as the disoriented pair ran off separately. He finally cornered one of them, said man standing before a concrete wall flanked by two metal crates, Chiaki standing at the only exit. The moonlight filtered through a nearby window and they turned to face him.

A soft-looking man stood in front of him. They looked to be about Chiaki’s age, although slightly taller and much less built. He was dressed casually in a blue coat and sneakers like he was out on a stroll. And for some reason, he was dripping wet. Bobbed teal hair framed a delicate face and a single curled cowlick sprouted from the top of his head. The light captured his pale skin and gentle-looking features as wide green eyes gazed back curiously. Chiaki’s breath caught in his throat as he stared at the moonlit figure before him, entranced.

The man didn’t react to being cornered at gunpoint. He simply stood there, arms hanging at his sides. He held a black rucksack in his left hand.

Chiaki shook his head to clear his thoughts. _Buck up, Hero!_ He knew from experience that looks can be—and _are_ —deceiving. He had a mission to focus on, and he still didn’t know who or what he was dealing with. He glanced at the black bag warily.

 

“Drop the bag and step back with your hands up.”

 

The man blinked at him unhurriedly. He gingerly set the bag on the floor and raised his hands, not breaking eye contact. He backed away and cocked his head to the side in such an innocent manner that Chiaki was literally starting to feel guilty. Chiaki was also on the verge of freaking out. _How is he so calm?!_ Especially since if he heard right, this guy was the one that just had a _feeding session_. A drop of sweat slid down Chiaki’s temple. _And stop trying to disarm me with that doe-eyed look!_

Chiaki tentatively stepped forward. He took the bag and flipped it upside down, fearing its contents as they tumbled out—

 

Three empty water bottles, two empty cans of tuna, a zip-loc baggie of fish crackers, and seventeen packets of soy sauce.

 

Chiaki stared at the scattered trash on the floor blankly, and checked the bag a few more times to make sure there was nothing else. He paused for a second. He looked back up at the man, opened his mouth, closed his mouth, then looked back at the trash. He looked up again.

 

“Was-was this your…feeding session?” A million questions were jumping around the inside of his skull like a bouncy castle, and Chiaki’s brain was somewhere inside getting trampled. “Who are you? Why are you? Here?? Who was with you? Missing workers? Eating??” He blurted out his thoughts so fast he’s not even sure he formed coherent sentences. He probably didn’t.

 

The man pouted and puffed out his cheeks like a child. If Chiaki wasn’t busy having an aneurysm he would’ve considered it was cute, even. “I was ‘hungry’.” he said simply, ignoring the rest of his word vomit.

 

He heard two sets of footsteps run up from behind him.

 

“—the fuck? Why is there soy sauce everywhere?”

 

“We lost the other guy; this the other one right? Let’s hurry up and exorcise him, or apprehend, him or whatever—” Kaoru panted between breaths as he placed his hands on his knees. Izumi stiffened beside him.

 

Izumi was the only witch out of the three of them and he could sense that what stood before them was _not human_. His aura was oddly hazy, leaving Izumi slightly dazed if he focused on him too hard. He was weirded out, since sensing magic was usually like feeling from hot to cold. Occasionally there could also be a gagging stench for black magic, but none of these applied to him. He narrowed his eyes and tried to look for any features or glamour on his body that might give them any hints, until—

 

“It appears you found my dear friend, but it is I that you should be after!” The same loud voice made them all flinch. It came from above, and a man dropped from the ceiling in a flurry of rose petals to land next to his companion. He twirled around dramatically and struck a ridiculous pose.

 

“Ah…’there’ you are.” A close-lipped grin spread over soy sauce man’s face. He mirrored his partner’s pose.

 

They looked _absolutely_ ridiculous. Chiaki wasn’t sure what was going on anymore and at this point Kaoru and Izumi were afraid to ask. Kaoru leveled his crossbow at their new guest with a look that practically screamed _please-give-me-a-break_ but he ignored them. Chiaki still had his pistol trained on the wet guy. His arms were getting sore.

Long silver hair framed striking features as the man spread his arms wide, like he was delivering a monologue. His eyes glinted playfully and he brandished a monstrous batlike owl—bound by a rune scribbled sloppily onto a sticky note _and very much alive_ _—_ by its legs while gesturing wildly with his free hand. Before any of them could react, silver-hair spoke; words rolling off his tongue as if he rehearsed this speech. He _was_ delivering a monologue.

 

“We needed a large amount of cursed feathers, and we happened to hear that a rogue strix has been quite a troublemaker!” He paused for effect. “This creature also seems to be what you were looking to be rid of.” He grinned toothily, like a proud housecat presenting live prey to its owner. On any other person it might’ve been considered a shit-eating grin but this guy was genuinely having a Good Time. At their expense.

 

“And we ‘needed’ some of these illegal ‘drugs’ for a potion.” His friend supplied, like that helped their case.

 

“I’m sure none of you would want to get into a tussle with us, and the creature terrorizing these poor workers is here in my hands,” He flailed said creature around haphazardly. The bird struggled weakly against its flimsy-looking restraints and let out a blood-curdling scream. “Declawed, defanged, and soon-to-be defeathered! So how about you let us go?” He motioned grandly to the three before him. At least _someone_ here was having fun. “It’s an amaaazing compromise, yes?”

 

They eyed the blood-sucking, man-eating, cursed bat-owl apprehensively. That thing was _far_ from “declawed and defanged”.

 

“Cut the bullshi—” Izumi spat, drawing a tome before he was abruptly cut off.

 

“—We’re really not looking for a confrontation. My friend and I are seriously only out here on a grocery run.” Long-hair said in a surprisingly plain tone.

 

Kaoru gawked at them. “What kind of grocery run involves trespassing on yakuza territory to steal cocaine and taking an entire live strix captive?! _At 2 in the morning?!?_ ” He groaned and ran a hand down his face. “You guys are sus as fuck. Why couldn’t we have run into two pretty ladies instead?” His initial incredulous expression faded. Now Kaoru just looked tired.

 

“Look,” Chiaki fixed his posture, expression stern. He still had his Responsible Dad vibes, except now he’s also holding a gun. “If you just leave the strix, we can let you go and no one would have to get hurt. We can’t afford to put others in danger by letting you go.”

 

And the fact that these two were able to handle that thing with ease was no laughing matter. Strixes usually took teams of three or four armed hunters to handle, and it was even harder since they were able to fly. They were large, carnivorous, aggressive, _and_ cursed. Silver-hair was holding it in his grasp like a sack of potatoes.

 

They stood their ground.

 

“Aha...Well then...” He patted teal-hair on the back and smiled at the three of them sympathetically. “If that's the case...it looks like we have no choice but to make an escape!”

 

Silver-hair surged forward at the same time Izumi cast a binding spell. He touched his hand to a page in his tome and shot a stream of energy from his palm. Silver-hair nimbly ducked beneath it and the lasso hit his partner instead. The spell coiled around his torso and as Izumi clenched his fist, it tightened. He let out a surprised “wah!” as he lost his balance from the impact and toppled over, arms and upper body bound.

Izumi’s spell shook the other two into action. They opened fire as the man closed in. Silver-hair easily deflected the bullets and crossbow bolts as his long hair seemingly sprung to life, pale tendrils whipping through the air as they knocked the projectiles askew. They struck the wall behind him, leaving scorch marks where they impacted. _Fire enchanted ammo._

Silver-hair reached Chiaki and stepped in close. A quick palm heel uppercut knocked the pistol out of his hands. He executed a low sweep, leg crackling with electricity. _How was he able to cast magic so quickly?!_ Chiaki sidestepped in time.

Izumi readied another binding spell as Kaoru kept him busy with his crossbow. Chiaki hopped a few steps back and grabbed a capsule of powdered sleep draught from his belt.

 

They failed to notice that the other man had escaped Izumi’s seal. The glowing rope lay in a heap on the ground, as if they simply phased through his body. Like it was made of water. The escapee extended an arm towards them.

 _Shit!_ Chiaki saw this a second too late. He opened his mouth to warn the others but a powerful torrent of water erupted from the man’s outstretched hand and slammed into them. The water threw them against the wall of a freight container, hard. Silver-hair flicked his wrist, levitating them with a gust of wind while teal-hair waved his hand. The water flowed upwards, enveloping them in floating spheres.

They were helpless as they hovered overhead, confined. The minute-long scuffle was enough for the trio to understand that they just got their asses handed to them, while Izumi bristled and spat at them like a feral cat.

Below, the pair gathered their belongings, fish crackers not forgotten. Teal-hair actually picked up all his trash too, Chiaki vaguely notes. Inwardly, he feels a bit relieved— _they can't really be "evil" if they care about the environment, right?_ He can't remember any sentai villains that actually gave a damn about recycling.

 

“Thank you all for your efforts!” A bow. “As you know, audience participation is vital to all performances and you three put up quite an amazing show!” At “amazing” he tossed up a handful of rose petals with a flourish. He’s so _extra._

 

“...Please enjoy your ‘bubbles’.”

 

 _“Adieu_ , my hunter friends! Tell your dear employer that your very own Hibiki Wataru sends his regards!”

 

“Ehehe...farewell, ‘humans’.” A giggle and wave.

 

After rubbing more salt into their wounds—intentionally or not—the man named Wataru laughed boisterously as he took his companion’s hand. He closed his eyes and hummed serenely as the strix let out one more demonic screech.

Then they ran out of the warehouse through the half-open garage door. It was actually really anticlimactic. Their laughter lingered like a gong and windchime, and the three were left to sulk in silence.

 

Five minutes later their bubbles popped, dumping them unceremoniously onto the hard concrete below and dousing them in icy water.

The three of them laid there for a while, exhausted and soaked.

 

* * *

 

It’s a Saturday afternoon and Kaoru sprawled the entire length of his body on the sofa, fingers flying over his phone as he propped his feet on Chiaki’s lap— _Airi-chan’s still up for their date tonight!_ Chiaki didn’t react, attention focused on the latest episode of Meteor Rangers. Izumi was in the bathroom going through his usual hour-long exfoliation routine.

After their... _eventful_ job, Keito stuck true to his word and paid them their spoils. They showed up at Keito’s office _immediately_ the morning after their investigation, where he _immediately_ paid them in cash, which they _immediately_ rushed to the landlady to pay their rent—which was due in half an hour.

Technically _they_ didn’t even deal with the strix, but it was considered a success anyways. Though upon hearing Wataru’s involvement Keito held his head in his hands then promptly downed an entire can of Redbull. It’s a miracle how he was still alive and functioning at the rate he pounded that caffeine. What a guy.

With the roller coaster that was the past ten hours coming to an end, they finally had time to unwind. They fucking _earned_ it. Now they’re lazing around, bathing in that sweet, sweet security of having a roof over their heads.

 

“So…” The credits rolled on the tv screen and Chiaki leaned back. “What do you think those two were? In the end we weren’t able to stop them at all.” Chiaki wondered aloud. He sounded a bit wistful, probably because he wasn’t able to defeat the "bad guys".

 

Izumi walked out of the bathroom wearing a clay mask, his hair wrapped in a towel. “The shorter one was probably some kind of water nymph or elemental or...something. I mean, the water was a dead giveaway. It was weird though. I couldn’t really tell.”

 

“Oooh I figured something along those lines. Like a siren or nix. I was totally enchanted when I first saw him!” Chiaki said with a hint of pink dusting his cheeks.

 

“Woow Moricchi, that’s so gay.”

 

“ _God_ , stop being such a hetero. Water elementals are always pretty.” Izumi wrinkled his nose. “And they always have great skin. Imagine never having to moisturize or detoxify, lucky bastards.” His face had envy written all over it. Kaoru's pretty sure that if Izumi stopped scrunching up his face at everything he wouldn’t have to worry so much about raisining.

 

“Huh...what about the other guy? Bikini Watano or something.”

 

“Definitely not human. He didn’t need a medium to cast spells.”

 

“But they were also super tough! A villainous duo fit to stand at the opposite side of the battlefield!” Chiaki leaned forward, eyes sparkling like a kid. He scratched his chin bashfully. “The way they tossed us around makes me feel pretty un-heroic though…at least they didn’t seem outright malicious?”

 

“Well yeah, but they were still fucking shady though.”

 

Kaoru closed his eyes and tuned out their chatter. So they didn’t become homeless. Here they were—three dudes chilling in an apartment together with boundaries ‘cause they’re _not gay_ _—_ barely scraping by with money from odd jobs, but honestly? He wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

“Hey!” Izumi smacked his stomach. “Wake up! We might’ve almost gotten evicted but it’s still your turn to do the laundry!”

 

He’d never admit to how much he enjoyed hunting paranormal shit with two grown-ass men. If anyone wanted a confession they’d have to pry it from his cold, dead hands.


	2. The Greengrocer and the Frog

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the kudos and comments !

Sometimes he wonders why God hates him. What did he ever do to incur their wrath? He’s so  _tired,_ why does he have to suffer everyday, he’s just trying to mind his own business, just let him  _rest_ _—_

 

“Whoa, Takamine! What’re you doing under all those boxes? It looks like you need some help there!” The owner of the voice barked out a laugh and nudged said boxes.

 

 _Uuuuugggghhh..._ he tried to burrow deeper into the mess. Midori was organizing shelves until  _he_ burst in, loud and obnoxious as usual. Which scared the shit out of him and caused him to knock a bunch of stuff over on himself. So it was Chiaki’s fault anyways. He groaned. “Leave me alone…”

 

Midori’s family runs the local greengrocer. He was also unlucky enough—some might actually think he’s lucky but  _no, it really sucks_ _—_ to be born into a family with the Sight, so they also had a little annex to the side that sold the "Goods". Like herbs and potion ingredients and such. But also some really weird and dangerous things…

The door was warded, however, so normal people couldn’t even see the entrance. As a result, it attracted the Weird Crowd. Like Morisawa Chiaki.

Midori’s not even a witch or brewer; he just sells the stuff. And he deals with the “fun” customers, then slaves away hauling vegetables twenty-four-fucking-seven.  _God_ , thinking about how much he hates his life is making him even more depressed.

Before Midori could lodge himself deeper into the mound, Chiaki wraps his hand around his upper arm and pulls him upright. Midori curls his lip in disgust up at Chiaki’s beaming, stupid face as he sits up from the debris.

 

“Sorry, sorry! I probably startled you, huh?” His grin turned bashful and he started picking up some of the scattered merchandise. “I’ll help you straighten things out.”

 

Midori sighed and got up to help. “...Thanks, I guess. But yeah, it  _was_ your fault.”

 

Two pairs of hands were better than one and they managed to clean everything up within twenty minutes. Midori wrinkled his nose as he stowed away the last jar of fish eyeballs.

 

“You’re lucky none of this stuff got damaged...otherwise I’d make you pay triple the price and also ban you forever.” He mumbled, and Chiaki just laughed and clapped him on the back.  _I’m not really joking, but okay._

 

Midori straightened up and re-tied his work apron. He glanced at Chiaki and saw what looked like a pet kennel and a small plastic container on the counter. He probably set them there when he first showed up.

Right. Business. The sooner he could get rid of Chiaki, the better.

 

“So. What’re you here for.” He deadpanned.

 

Chiaki perked up. “I needed raskovnik, if you had any? I used up my entire supply already.”

 

 _More raskovnik, huh._ He scanned the shelves. Under the “magical properties” section, on the rack labeled “general use”, organized by rarity _..._ there it is. He picked up a small jar. There were only two raskovnik clovers left. “Why do you need so much anyways? You literally bought our entire supply three days ago.” He frowned. “This stuff’s hard to find, y’know…”

 

“Well. I’ve just needed to break lots of locks lately!”

 

Midori gave him a look.

 

“O-okay, I'm not breaking into houses or doing anything shady?”  _I think your entire career is shady, but go off._

 

“I’m using it on cage locks at the animal shelter! Animal control's really been cracking down and they actually ended up catching a bunch of familiars. I’ve been swamped with work by all the frantic witches calling in.” Chiaki hastily explains. “Stop looking at me like that!”

 

“Is that so…” Midori hums noncommittally. It’s not like he didn't believe Chiaki, he just didn't really care. But he  _did_ care about running out of the herb since it would be a pain in the ass to restock. Raskovnik was called “legendary” for a reason.

 

“Why don’t you just bust all the cages open? You literally have guns and lockpicks.” Midori rolls his eyes and scoffs. “Or you could take them home legally. Which is what I thought you’d do first, since you  _love_ being a law-abiding citizen. For justice. It’s such a waste to use these on normal locks...”

 

Chiaki's brow furrowed. “Sometimes the safest and most responsible thing to do goes beyond the law. Heroes of justice can't afford to put innocent people at risk, even if it means bending some rules!” He declares confidently, as if it were common sense. Midori’s brain internally screams at him to shut up.

 

“I mean, who knows what desperate witches would do on their own to find be reunited with their companions! What a powerful bond...I’m emotional just thinking about it.” Chiaki looks up as if he were holding back tears.

 

“Stop being such a gross sap…” Midori can feel his life energy getting sucked out of him by Chiaki’s dumb antics. He can’t even get a quick painless death, it seems. “I want to die…”

 

"Aww, don't say that! Cheer up!" Chiaki pouts and drops his emo act— _thank god_ —and continues what he was saying. “There's also an adoption limit, so it’s not like that was an option anyways? And picking the locks takes too long. There are  _a lot_ of animals I need to break out.” He adds. “The people working there are just doing their job, so there's no ill-intent! I wouldn't want to ruin all their cages and facilities either.”

 

“...Just say that first then. I already lost all my brain cells just listening to your voice.” Midori grits out as he turns his back to him. He starts to pack up the clovers, while Chiaki keeps chattering. He says something along the lines of  _“hahaha don’t be such a tsundere”_ but Midori’s not even gonna bother responding.

 

He finishes wrapping them up into a little envelope and sets it on the counter between them. “That’ll be two billion yen. We don't have any more so don't ever come back.”

 

Chiaki laughs  _again_  and hands him the  _actual_  amount they're sold for. “Thanks, Takamine!”

 

Chiaki moves to grab the pet kennel and it's now that Midori can make out what the smaller cube was. It was one if those little plastic tanks that usually have turtles or hermit crabs in them. This one had a tiny frog in it.

Caught staring, Chiaki spoke up.

 

“These two guys were the last ones I had to pick up this run.” He gestured towards the larger kennel, and Midori can see a fat cat sitting inside, grumpy. “I was just going to drop this one off at its owner’s place but I needed supplies here first.”

 

Midori was only half-listening. His eyes were glued to the tiny frog, who was hiding away at the far corner of its plastic prison. It looked like a common tree frog, mostly green save for a unique purple-yellow pattern on its back. There’s something about its pocket size and shyness that played at Midori’s heartstrings.  _Cute…!_ It finally turned to face Midori, and he nearly combusted on the spot from how  _precious_ it's little nose and shiny eyes were.

 

“Why don’t you keep it?”

 

Midori snapped out of his trance at Chiaki’s voice. “What?”

 

“I hardly ever see you interested in anything, and you have this huuuge grin plastered on your face right now. I know you love cute things, so it’d all work out! It’s your new teammate! A sidekick!”

 

“Uhh...but isn’t it someone’s familiar?” Midori rubbed his bicep, suddenly self-conscious. He hadn't even realized he was smiling like an idiot. At a frog. And as much as he hates to admit, he  _really kinda_ wants to keep it.

 

Chiaki put his hands on his hips. “You’re in luck, because it’s not! No one actually called for it. I only took it from the shelter because I could sense magic from it.” He purses his lips. “I’m not sure  _what_ the magic is, but I’m assuming it’s just another familiar? I’m not a witch, I can’t tell.”

 

“So!” He continues. “You can keep it instead! Frogs are pretty low maintenance pets and it would do you good to have some company.”

 

“Wait. But I—”

 

“I’m sure it’ll find a good home with you!” Chiaki pushed the tank into his arms and grabbed the kennel. “I’ve got to return this kitty now, so take good care of it. Thanks again, Takamine!”

 

And there he goes. Before Midori could protest—or react, for that matter—Chiaki was already out the door. Now he’s back in his well-deserved silence, except he also has an adorable pet frog now. The frog remains quiet and motionless.  _I hope I can take care of it?_

He lifted the tank up to eye-level and peered at the amphibian. The poor thing looked like it was quaking in fear, locked in such cramped quarters.

 

“We’ll get you a new terrarium tomorrow...are you hungry?”

 

No response. Frogs don’t talk.

Midori sighed. He’ll have to search for all the _proper_ aquarium equipment tomorrow, and do a bunch of pet research... But one more look at its big, shining, gold eyes and his heart melted.  _I would die for you!!_

He fed it some vegetable scraps from dinner and took it to his room upstairs. After a long day of lugging around groceries and dealing with Chiaki, he placed the frog caddy next to him and flopped backwards onto his bed, exhausted.

He closed his eyes and let out a tired exhale. The frog—he’ll have to give it a name sometime—turned to look at Midori, almost in a concerned manner.

Midori was feeling a bit vulnerable. He thought back to Chiaki’s words about having company.

 

“Morisawa-senpai is really loud and annoying, huh…” Midori spoke aloud. It made him feel a bit less lonely, even if he was talking to a pet frog.

 

“He’s always a huge pain, dragging me around and giving me work to do…” He frowned and stretched his legs. “And he’s always talking about sentai, and heroes, and justice, and whatever...he’s like, twenty.”

 

“I might act like I hate him, but I...really appreciate him at the same time. He’s always trying his best to motivate me and stuff…” Midori puffed out a breath and turned on his side. The frog was still watching him, as if it could understand his words. “I’ve never really had any friends...but he’s always there for me. As annoying as he is.”

 

The frog let out a meek little “ _r_ _ibbit”_ , as if in response.

 

Midori smiled. “That’s the first sound you made so far. You’re a good listener, you know that?” He chuckled, feeling at ease and not at all worried about the fact that he’s having a conversation with a frog. “Morisawa-senpai was right. It’s nice having a friend to keep me company.”

 

He kept talking. About school, working at the grocery store, his mascot collection, inane things. He didn’t remember falling asleep. For the first time in awhile, he slept peacefully with a warm feeling in his chest.

 

* * *

 

A beam of sunlight hit Midori’s eye through the curtains and he groaned. He shifted, long limbs tangled in his bedsheets messily as he felt a weird, pokey sensation under him. He stuck a hand behind his back, digging for whatever was causing the discomfort, and pulls out a shard of...something.

He blearily opens his eyes to see what it is, and sees that it’s a broken piece of plastic.

He blinks at it groggily, and notices that the sheets feel a bit damp.  _What kind of weird dream is this…_ He drops his arm and goes back to sleep—

 

zzz...

 

— _Fuck!!_ His eyes snap back open and he bolts upright. In a half-asleep, panicked frenzy, his hands scrabble over the sheets in a desperate attempt to find the frog. He probably rolled over the plastic tank in his sleep and crushed it, it’s all because of his _stupidly_ big body, the poor innocent creature is probably  _dead_ , it’s  _all his fault for being careless and irresponsible_ —

In a last-ditch effort, he throws off the entire blanket and finds...a  _person._

 

 _A living, breathing, life-sized, human boy,_ curled up against Midori’s side, sleeping snugly.

 

“Uuuuwhhhhggh???” He lets out a disgusting cross between a shrill wheeze and a strangled gurgle and falls off the side of his bed. At  _that_ , the stranger wakes up with a start and scrambles backwards on all fours, eyes wide in confusion and fear.

 

The first thing that Midori notices is that he’s _small_ —way shorter than Midori and really petite. He seemed to be wearing a black kimono romper with nothing else, and his boyish face was framed by short purple hair with two yellow streaks. Long bangs obscured his left eye, and  _hold on, those big yellow eyes look familiar_ —

Midori wasn’t especially smart or anything, but he could put two and two together.

 

“Y-you’re—”

 

“I am sor—”

 

They both jumped when a woman’s voice suddenly rang out.

 

“Midori! Are you awake yet? It’s already noon and we need you to help unpack today’s shipment!” His mom calls out from downstairs.

 

And an uncomfortable silence sets in. Midori was busy having an internal crisis on what to say first when he was beaten to the punch.

 

“I-I am sorry!!” The boy stutters out. He assumes a dogeza position, his ears pink. “I must have changed in my slumber, when my guard was low. It is my fault for causing a mess and startling you, and I beg for your forgiveness!!” He looks up at Midori from where he’s kneeling, and sniffs pitifully. Tears were starting to well up at the corners of his eyes and  _wow, Midori is starting to feel really bad…_

 

“Oh...um. It’s okay...so please get up…?” He holds up his hands placatingly. “You didn’t do anything wrong, so d-don’t cry…”

 

He nervously scoots closer to the boy and gently places his hands on his shoulders. He’s so  _small._

 

The boy sits up and looks at him tearfully. “I still must apologize, though...I did not mean to shift so suddenly, as you have been so hospitable…”

 

“It’s okay, really. I thought I crushed you in my sleep or something...I really would have died if that happened…” He removes his hands and scratches the back of his head. “Sorry for reacting the way I did, too...I was just surprised.”

 

They sat quietly as the boy sniffed again and wiped at his eyes.

 

“So, uhh. What’s your name? If you don’t mind me asking?”

 

The boy hesitates for a second. “Shinobu.” He fiddled with the hem of his shorts. “I must thank you for taking care of me, even if only for a brief period.”

 

“Ah, no problem. Though I guess you’re a lot more than just a pet frog now...wait, sorry, I don’t mean to call you a pet or anything…I suck at talking, sorry...” He quickly adds.

 

Shinobu lets out a timid giggle, his expression lightening. “You seemed perfectly amicable last night! Although I agree, communicating with others is a difficult task for me as well.”

 

Midori felt himself relax, seeing Shinobu unwind like that. For once, he felt at ease in the presence of another person. It was reassuring, to say the least, knowing that there were others who also struggle with being social. Whoever—or  _what_ ever—Shinobu was, he felt like a breath of fresh air.

He must’ve made a face, because Shinobu abruptly stopped laughing and looked at him. A moment of awkward staring passed and a light blush crawled up Shinobu’s face. He quickly averted his eyes.

 

“Is...there something on my face?” Midori fidgeted, tugging on his bangs. The attention was making him anxious now. “Um. Let’s get up off the floor…” He got up himself and moved to help the other boy. Is this how two socially-constipated people interact? Because Midori is starting to sweat.

 

“Oh, my apologies! I was just, um. Thinking that you look very different in person! In a good way.” Shinobu carefully takes his hand, standing up to his full height. Which really wasn’t much. He’s exactly two heads shorter than Midori, and he has to fight the urge to hug Shinobu to his chest like a big stuffed animal.

 

They stood facing each other, and Shinobu cleared his throat. “I believe I should introduce myself again, properly!” He straightened up and bowed from the waist. “My name is Shinobu, from the Sengoku clan. I am very grateful for the kindness you have shown me!”

 

Midori inclined his head in response. “I’m Takamine Midori. I’m a high school student and I work at the grocery store downstairs…and I’m glad I was helpful to you.” He takes another look over Shinobu’s personage. His clothes, stature, appearance, and... _froggy-ness_ hint at something in the back of Midori’s mind. He had his suspicions, but he couldn't recall the specifics.  _It’s about time we addressed the elephant_ — _I mean, frog_ — _in the room._ “Are you a ninja?”

 

“W-what! That is...a secret!!” Shinobu balks, then deflates. He scratches his cheek sheepishly. “Never mind, it must have been quite obvious…” He hesitates, contemplating his next words. “More specifically, I am a jiraiya. I ventured out of my village and got lost, then there were terrifying cats everywhere, and before I knew it, I was rounded up and sent away…”

 

“A jiraiya...” That explained a lot. If he remembered correctly, they were a group of frogs descended from  _the_ Jiraiya, who passed down the ability to shapeshift into humans. Eventually, they developed into an entire species of their own, retaining their ninja lifestyle. “But how did you get lost in the first place? Wouldn't someone have noticed you missing?”

 

“I do not...have many relations…” Shinobu trails off, then says “Ninjas are rather individualistic, and I have never been comfortable around others, unfortunately.”

 

Shinobu shrunk in on himself, and Midori was once again struck at his heart. “I can try to help you find your way back. I...definitely understand how scary being lost or alone feels.” He offers.

 

“I truly appreciate your offer, but I will only be a burden—”

 

“—Please, I want to help.” He insists. Midori is never motivated to do things on his own, but he felt the need extend his hand this time. Perhaps it’s because Shinobu’s struggles resonated with him somewhat. He takes Shinobu’s shoulders and gives a reassuring squeeze. “I probably can’t do much, but I’ll try my best. I’ll also be here if you need to talk, or anything. As-as a friend.”

 

“T-truly?” Shinobu's eyes widen, hopeful. “You...really are kind. Thank you!”

 

Then Shinobu’s face softens. “Friend…” He tests the word on his tongue as if it were foreign to him. “This is the first time someone has called me their ‘friend’! I...will return the favor as well!” His hand comes up to rest on Midori's tentatively.

 

_“Midori!”_

 

Their fuzzy bonding moment—is that what it was? Midori rarely had emotions other than "tired" and "wanting to die" so it's not like he would know—was interrupted by two harsh knocks on the door, and Midori’s mom throws it open without warning. Midori gasps and whips around to face her.

 

“U-um! This is, it’s not—” He sputters, trying to come up with  _any_ explanation as to why there was another boy in his room. He glances back at where Shinobu stood. Or where he  _once_ stood.

 

The tiny frog sat on his desk innocently.  _Ahhh, he really is a ninja!_ He jumped onto Midori’s shoulder as his mom watched.

 

“What were you saying?” She questions. She narrows her eyes at him, then decides to let it drop. “Anyways, hurry up and come help out at the store already. You can go buy pet supplies afterwards." She scolds as she backs out of his room and makes her way downstairs.

 

Midori takes a moment to calm his nerves after his mom leaves. Then he hastily grabs his phone and slips on a cardigan. As he makes his way down the hall, the frog—Shinobu—chirps at him from his perch, and Midori smiles. They’ll have plenty of time to talk, and once again, Midori thinks of  _companionship_  and  _friendship_. His chest feels tingly and his day already feels brighter.

_I have a feeling that having you around would grant me even more happiness than being surrounded by mascots._

Midori’s “pet frog” ended up being way more than he bargained for, but he’s not complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i was gonna make shinobu a vodyanoy or kappa or sth like that but jiraiya fit too well...so I made it into a species lol


	3. Potion Seller

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i mashed this out 30 mins before work lol
> 
> sorry if it's ooc but happy april fools day !

“Hello~! Is anyone here?”

 

Hajime stopped stirring the pot of lavender extract and set the heat to low. He hastily wiped his hands on the front of his apron and hurried out to the storefront.

 

“Y-yes, welcome! How may I help you?”

 

An orange-haired man—or boy? He didn’t exactly look old —was crouched down between the shelves. If he was trying to hide, his bright orange hair really wasn't doing him any favors. His eyes were darting around, and he seemed to vibrate in place from pent-up tension. At Hajime’s voice, he perked up and dashed to the counter across from him. Hajime’s had his fair share of suspicious customers, but it did nothing to soothe his nerves every time he _did_ come across them. At least the smell of lavender in the air calmed him a bit.

The boy crept up to where Hajime stood at the register. His eyes darted back and forth again, and seeing that there was no one else in Hajime’s decrepit little potion shop, he stood up. _What is this person even looking out for?_ Hajime wrings his hands nervously. He could say from experience that dodgy visitors always brought trouble. And they were just downright creepy.

 

“Hey, hi, nice to meet you!” He smiled brightly—ow, that’s a blinding smile—and grabbed Hajime’s hand in an enthusiastic handshake. Or what was _supposed_ to be a handshake, but it was more like the boy took hold of a wet paper towel and flopped it around. He continues, unbothered. “This is a potion shop, right? Then you’re the potion seller?”

 

“Yes? That’s me...”

 

“Okay, great! Potion seller, I want your strongest potions!” He says seriously, without preamble. He seemed to bounce up and down on the spot, and it’s obvious he’s in some kind of rush. Just looking at him was enough to give him motion sickness. But Hajime is a Responsible Potion Seller.

 

“My strongest?” Hajime sucks in a breath and steeled his nerves. Being firm was always his weak suit. “I-I’m sorry, but my strongest potions are too strong for you.”

 

The boy looks disappointed for a second, then rebounds, even more insistent. “Potion Seller, I’m going into battle and I really need your strongest potions!” He leans on the counter and whines. “Pleeeease!”

 

Upon closer inspection, Hajime can see that the boy looks pretty ragged. His clothes were smudged and a little bit torn, and there was soot on his face—was his hair singed? Yeah, it definitely was.

He’s not lying about the “going into battle” part. Maybe Hajime should cave and give him what he wants. He bites his lip. But his strongest is _strong…_

 

“I don't, um. Think you’re strong enough for my potions? They can k-kill a _dragon_ , so they would definitely kill you...You should visit another potion shop that sells weaker potions, I have some good recommenda—”

 

“Potion Seller, I need your strongest potions! If it’s _that_ strong then it’s even better!” The boy pleads desperately.

 

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to deny your request…”

 

“Please?”

 

“No.”

 

“ _Pretty_ please??”

 

“No...”

 

“Pretty _pretty_ please???”

 

“I really shouldn’t, sorry.”

 

“Here, look. I’ll pay you! Generously.” He pats his pockets, scowls, and his hands turn up empty. D _amn, so I left behind all of my tools_ and _wallet. Great._

 

He swears under his breath and turns his pockets inside out. He manages to find a single shiny rock. Excited, he holds it out to Hajime, grinning ear-to-ear. “See, look! It’s suuuper shiny and worth a lot! Probably!”

 

 _Just because a rock is shiny doesn’t mean it’s valuable! Please take this seriously!_ If that were the case, Hajime would've devoted his life to picking up stones off the street instead of barely scraping by with his run-down apothecary. “Erm, it’s still a no…”

 

A distant rumbling starts up, then dies down as suddenly as it happens. The customer visibly tenses.

 

“Still no? But I really need your strongest potions...” The boy drapes himself over the counter. “Please?” He tries again.

 

“B-but it would surely kill you, that’s how strong it is.”

 

“Gah, please listen to meeeee!” He moans, whiny desperation back in action. The boy leans further into Hajime’s space, almost nose-to-nose. His eyes seemed to scream _I’m going into battle and I_ need _your strongest potions!_

 

“I’m going into battle and I _need_ your strongest potions!” He says. Hajime should be a psychic.

 

The rumbling starts up again, except closer. Some of the shelves start shaking, glass bottles clinking precariously. Alarm bells go off in Hajime’s head and he starts to give in.

 

“I-I’m warning you, though. My potions are really dangerous, and could easily hurt you!” He backs away and quickly grabs a small vial from a hidden compartment. “I, I need to see that you have the, um. Proper qualifications? To handle thi—”

 

The rumbling intensifies and draws _even closer_. Hajime can see smoke coming from somewhere down the street, while his customer squawks. The entire place is a cacophony of noise as glass begins to shatter.

 

“Oh _fuck,_ please, there's no time—”

 

“O-okay! Okay…” He squeaks. Hajime is on the verge of just turning tail and running from whatever the heck was happening outside. He’s about to stuff the potion into the guy’s hands, but his last sane brain cell steps up to the occasion. After all, being responsible for someone’s death was another stressor his poor nerves really didn’t need.

 

“Wait, um! You _do_ know how to use it, r-right?”

 

“You just. Uh. Drink it, right? You drink potions to get special powers?”

 

 _Oh, I am absolutely NOT giving him the potion now._ “Actually, uhhm. I changed my mindIcan’tgiveittoyou—”

 

The quaking crescendos to a full-on explosion, and a large, scaly, shape barrels into the side of Hajime’s shop like a javelin. Hajime yelps and the boy ducks behind a fallen shelf as glass flies everywhere. Hajime doesn't budge, completely frozen in shock.

 

The _jaculus_ rears its snakelike head and stares at him straight on.

Hajime screams and throws the potion at it.

 

The vial shatters right between its eyes. The orange-haired boy lunges at Hajime to get him to safety, but he stops mid-motion, jaw going slack as he just stared at the dragon. At what was happening to it.

Right as the concoction touched the dragons skin, blue-violet flames engulfed it's body. The enchanted flames licked at the dragon’s skin, slowly, cruelly, melting it's scales, then skin, then muscles into a foul smelling sludge that collected on the floor. The creature screamed and writhed in excruciating pain as it's tissue dripped off of its frame. Within a few seconds, all that remained were it's bones, crystallized by the heat. The image of the sparkling lilac-colored skeleton in a puddle of oil slick remains made up a...beautiful yet haunting picture.

Hajime fell backwards onto his forearms, eyes wide. Now that the source of the chaos was gone, they were left in an eerie silence. His heart beat at a rapid staccato as he willed himself to calm down, that the threat was gone, that he was _okay._

 

“--some…”

 

“Huh?” With blood still rushing in Hajime’s ears, he missed what the other boy said.

 

“Holy shit, that was awesome!” The boy bounded over to where Hajime was hunched on the floor with his eyes wide. He extended a hand. “You really weren't joking when you said it could kill a dragon!” _Well, yes, but I’m just glad you didn’t drink it._

 

Hajime delicately takes his hand and stands on shaky legs. “T-thank you...are-are you okay?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine. Great, even! That was honestly so cool, and it's so shiny _…”_ He beamed at Hajime. “Are _you_ okay?”

 

“Y-yes! I’m ok, I think.” Hajime replies with an anxious smile. It falls off his face when he looks at the state of his shop. “Oh no, my store…”

 

“Oh, about that. I’ll take responsibility, since I kinda...lured it here…” He scratched his nose impishly. “I stole a bunch of its scales, see?” He shows Hajime the shiny rock he tried to offer him earlier. And Hajime thought it was just a pebble off the sidewalk. Oops.

 

“Hah! Speaking of responsibility, I never asked for your name, Potion Seller!” The boy laughs lightheartedly as if they weren't standing in the middle of a huge wreckage of glass, potions, and dead dragon. They could've _died_.

 

It takes Hajime a moment to find his voice. “I. I’m Hajime Shino. Um, n-nice to meet you?”

 

“I’m Akehoshi Subaru, part-time dragon hunter, full-time collector of shiny things! Nice to meet you too!” He smiles dazzlingly, somehow outshining the crystal skeleton and glass dust behind him.

 

Hajime also knows from experience that surprisingly, there’s never a dull moment in running a potion shop.


End file.
